Northern Alberta daycare on probation after inspections reveal multiple infractions

Wallis Snowdon · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 2:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A bluish Alberta daycare has been placed connected probation pursuing a drawstring of infractions, including allegations unit were inappropriately punishing children successful their care. 

Provincial authorities inspectors person suspended the licence for Baby Steps Early Learning Center successful Slave Lake and placed the installation connected probation status.

The probationary licence was issued owed to 41 non-compliance orders and ongoing information concerns, said Matt Jones, Alberta's curate of jobs, system and trades, successful a Friday connection to CBC. 

"These non-compliances are profoundly concerning, and our highest precedence is the information and well-being of the children astatine this facility," Jones said.

Inspection reports that day backmost to the summertime item aggregate sanctions for staffing issues, unsafe operational practices and the mode successful which its unit were interacting with children astatine the daycare. 

Tanya Shelley, the proprietor and relation of the facility, said she is moving to code the problems. 

"Most of our non-compliances are really administrative," Shelley said. "But surely thing that was posing immoderate benignant of information to children's information oregon well-being." 

'A louder voice'

The installation has been sanctioned 4 times for its kid guidance practices. These see 2 instances wherever children faced  "physical punishment, verbal oregon carnal degradation oregon affectional deprivation," and 2 wherever guidance was deemed inappropriate. 

Other inspection reports noted problems with attendance records, first-aid training, harmless handling of medication, record-keeping, staffing and evacuation measures.

Shelley said the incidents progressive verbal punishment of children, instances wherever unit failed to usage "positive reinforcement" oregon yelled astatine the minors successful their care. 

"That it truly is not conducive to what we would similar to spot successful an aboriginal learning centre," Shelley said.

"The world is that sometimes we bash request to usage a louder dependable to minimize a imaginable information issue." 

According to Alberta's handbook for licenced childcare operators, verbal oregon carnal degradation includes immoderate harsh, belittling, oregon threatening oregon degrading effect by immoderate big that humiliates oregon undermines a child's self-respect. It whitethorn besides see inappropriate vulnerability to maltreatment oregon violence.

Alberta RCMP accidental they person not received immoderate reports astir the daycare.

Shelley said the daycare archetypal opened successful August 2024 and has 28 children ranging successful property from 1 to five. She said she has struggled to find adequately trained staff.

Government officials said the programme volition beryllium intimately monitored until the probation play ends connected June 12. If issues stay unresolved, the facility's operating licence could beryllium revoked.